The rotating strikes at Canada Post have finally hit London.
According to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) the Forest City is one of the latest Ontario communities involved in the ongoing labour action.
As the strike hits the city, a rally supporting postal workers and their demands is taking place in downtown London, Monday.
“We know that postal workers are standing up for good, middle-class jobs and for gender equality and they’re pushing for expansion of services that will benefit all Canadians,” said organizer James Hutt.
“We’ve seen that many allies — whether they’re in the labour movement, anti-poverty, or just in the general public — want to support postal workers,” he said.
“This rally is a chance for people to actually come out and show the government it’s time to end the strike and support postal workers.”
CUPW has been in negotiations with Canada Post for almost a year, but Hutt said a number of issues still remain unresolved.
“We know that postal workers are overburdened and often forced to take overtime. It’s really frustrating to see.”
This round of strikes began Sunday night or first thing Monday morning and also include Barrie, Brantford, Fort Erie, Guelph, Simcoe, St. Catharines, Scarborough and Welland.
Locations in Newfoundland and Labrador are also on strike.
“If you look at what the postal workers are putting forward, there’s really no reason not to accept those demands,” said Hutt.
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The rally gets underway at 12 p.m. at city hall.
Hutt said they’re calling on the federal government to turn Canada Post into the engine of Canada’s new economy — one that addresses climate change, poverty, and creates new services that benefit all Canadians.
Canada Post said Sunday the rotating strikes have impacted operations in more than 70 communities across the country, causing backlogs that could delay mail delivery to its customers for several days.
— With files from the Canadian Press